Assessment of the degree of disability and quality of life of elderly ostomy people

Abstract

Objective: To assess the quality of life and degree of disability of elderly people with ostomies. Method: This is a cross-sectional study, carried out with elderly people with ostomies from a Brazilian public health service. They were evaluated using the City of Hope – Quality of Life – Ostomy Questionnaire and the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule. Results: The mean quality of life was 8.0 and the degree of disability was 3.8. There was an association between aptitude for self-care and better quality of life (p<0.005). The association is greater between the psychological and spiritual well-being domains among the elderly, elderly able to self-care. Spiritual wellbeing was also higher among those with more than five years of surgery. There was also an association between a higher degree of disability and when the cause of the ostomy was cancer (p<0.003). Conclusion: Elderly people with an ostomy had a good quality of life and a low degree of disability.